Racket string



April 12 1927.

A; M. DRITZ RACKET STRING Filed Dec. 16, 1926 INVENTOR .flrlkar Mflri Z2,

BY W916! ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITED? ARTHUR nnrrz, or roan, N. Y.

'RACKET STRING.

A pplica tionfilefl December This invention relates to'racke't strings,

such-as used the games of tennis, squash, or the 111m, and the same has particular reference to an improvement in the construc tion of the string.

It has been found that the ordinary racket strings madev of a number of twisted- I strands of gut covered with a protective covering of shellac or varnish, break for two principal re aso11s,'namely: the friction upon the string cracks the protective outer covering of shellac or varnish and the V strands of gut unravel whilemoisture entering the gut after the cracking of the outer coating causes swelling of the same and v consequent contraction which results in the breaking thereof.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to overcome these ap;

parent defects by binding the string of twisted strands of gut, with a fine-wire helically wound thereover in an opposite clirection to the twist of the gut strands,

which wire in addition to preventing any material swelling due to its inherent greater tensile strength,. also providesan outer wearing surface in that the outer surface of the wire convolutions protrude beyond the outer surface of the gut.

The invention furthermore comprehends a racket string constructed as set forth which'does not impair to any marked degree. the natural resiliency of the gut.

The invention furthermore provides a racket string which is comparatively sim-fl ple in its construction, economical to produce, and which is'highly efficient in it purpose.

lVith the above recited and other objects in view, reference is had to the following specification and accompanying drawings in'which there is exhibited oneexample or embodiment of the inventlon which is in no way intended as a limitation upon the scope of the appended claims as it is to be clearly 16, 192E. Seliial No. 155,209.

of ireference, .10 designates the gut string proper which consists of a plurality (of. strands 11 of gut twisted together. A re inforcem-ent and binding 12 preferably of a fine wire, is helically wound around the gut string 10 with the convolutions pitched in an opposite direction to the pitch of the intertwisted strands 11, the wire being em- 7 bedded in the gut string 10 approximately half of the diameter of the wire, which in addition to deadening the vibration of the wire iii no way impairs the natural resiliency of the gut which acts in the normal'or usual manner.

In practice it will be found that the'wire prevents unraveling of the gut or swelling of the same to any great degree because of its relatively greater tensile strength. The wire also affords an additional surface to hold or retain the outer coating of shellac,

thereby breaking up the continuous stretch of the coating, which prevents cracking.

Due to the fact that'the outer surface of the convolutions of the wire binding provject slightly beyond the outer surface of the gut, an additional durable surface is provided which prevents undue wear on the gut proper andv materially adds to the length and life of'usefulness of the string.

The term wire asemployed in this ap: plication .is used in its broadest sense and is intended to cover any elongated element flexible to the desired degree and which contains characteristics different from the stranded gut body, which characteristics. include the qualities of not swelling when subjected to moisture and of possessing greater tensile strength than the stranded gut body.

What is claimed is: I v

1. As a new article of manufacture, a

racket string including a stranded gut body,

anda helically woundbinding wire there; on, the convolutions of which are embed ded in the outer surface of the gut body. 2. Asa new article of manufacture, a racket string including a stranded gut body, and a helically wound binding'wire thereon, the binding wire being wound in an opposite direction to the direction of. the twist of the strands of the stranded gut body, whereby to prevent untwisting of the.

strands'of said gut body. iv

3. As a new article of manufacture, a racket string including a stranded gut body, and a helically wound binding wire thereon, the pitch of the convolutions of the binding wire being disposed opposite to the twist of the stranded gut body and the binding Wire embedded in the outer surface of the gut body.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a racket string including a stranded gut body, and a helically wound binding Wire thereon, the pitch of the convoiutions of the binding Wire being disposed opposite to the twist of the stranded gut body and the binding Wire embedded in the outer surface of the gut body to a depth less than the diameter of the binding Wire.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a racket string including a stranded gut body and a helically Wound binding Wire thereon, the convolutions of which are spaced apart to expose a portion of the surface of the gut bodyfor contact and engagement 29 with the ball.

ARTHUR M. DRITZ. 

